In the last five years tattoos and tattoo culture have made their way to the mainstream pop culture. While tattoos have long been popular, never before have they been so widely accepted and covered by the media.

Tattoo magazines have existed for several years. Magazines like Tattoo, Inked and Skin & Ink continuously feature quality tattoo photos, history and culture on tattoos, tips and who’s who in tattoo design.

Cable shows like TLC’s "Miami Ink" and its spin-off "L.A. Ink" bring tattoo lifestyle and culture to the masses in weekly installments. The A&E network has also jumped on the tattoo-reality-television-ship with "Inked." Episodes of the tattoo reality shows feature several customers telling their histories and motivations for choosing their tattoos. There is also some focus on the personal lives of the tattoo artists also.

Tattoo artist training another reason for resurgence. Tattoo artists now have many opportunities for expert training in graphic design and fine art training. Also, advances in tattoo equipment and pigments have led to improved quality and thus have diminished many health risks.

Currently many celebrities in all areas of entertainment including sports, movies and music have brought a lot of attention in celebrity magazines to tattoos. Actress Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore and Charlize Theron usually talk a lot about tattoos in interviews. Hard rock musicians like Tommy Lee, Henry Rollins and Ozzy Osbourne have sported tattoos for many years in music magazines.

While tattoo equipment has improved greatly in the last decade, tattooing still carries health risks because it requires breaking the skin barrier. Infection and allergic reactions are the biggest health risks. Tattoo artists should always take the precaution of sterilizing equipment and working with single-use tools. Many tattoo artists in many cities are required to take training on blood-borne pathogens provided by the Red Cross and other agencies.

Tattoo designs and images run the gamut of styles. Many people choose proverbs, sayings or images that connect them to important memories or people. Popular tattoo images among both men and women are proverbs in languages like Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and Thai. There are also tribal, Celtic and Zodiac tattoos. Popular tattoo designs with women are often whimsical images like flowers, hearts and angels. Gothic images like crosses, skulls and weapons. Tattoos are also associated with persons in gangs, prison and the military.

Tattoo magazines offer tips on how to choose the best tattoo to meet your needs. Some common mistakes when choosing tattoo designs are 1) too small 2) cheap 3) boyfriend/girlfriend names 4) impulsive 5) being drunk

A subscription to a tattoo magazine is a great way to research reasons to get a tattoo.